Spacing-instrument



(No Model.)

H. R. GALE.

SPAGING INSTRUMENT.

ATTORNEYS. I

`which the following is a specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT 4OEEicE..4

HIRAM R. GALE, OE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SPACING-INSTRUNIENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,168, dated April 8, 1890.

Application Afiled J' une 14, 1889. Serial No. 314,314. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM R. GALE, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spacing-Instruments, of

The object of my invention is to provide a device for the use of printers for measuring and marking into equal spaces card-board and paper preparatory to subdividing the same or cutting it up into sizes for cards, tickets, dac., the device being intended to be applied to the sheets of paper or card-board, so as to ascertain at a glance into what number of subdivisions of equal size it may be divided to the best advantage.

It consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of a series of marking-arms mounted upon and combined with a set of lazy-tongs, whereby an increase or diminution of the space between the first two arms also effects a corresponding increase or diminution of the space between all the other arms of the series, as will be hereinafter fully described. j

Figure l is a plan view showing the arms drawn up for subdivision of the paper into small cuts. Eig. 2 is a similar view with the indicator scale and pointers removed and showing the arms extended for subdividing the paper into larger cuts, and Fig. 3 is a v'ertical transverse section through the line of Fig. 1. Y v

In the drawings, A represents the base plate or frame, which is designed to be set upon a table and detachably attached thereto by screws, clamps, or other equivalent means. This base-plate may be of wood or metal and is in the nature of a board or, plate, preferably about six feet in length. Upon this plate are attached two flanged metal strips B B, whose adjacent edges are bent up at a and toward each other at h, leaving a space between the two edges b b of uniform width to form a guide, as hereinafter described.

C is an indicator-plate mounted at its ends on the base-plate A, so as to stand a short distance above the flanged strips B B. rlhis indicator -plate has a slot c along its entire length, which corresponds to the space between the edgesb of the flanged strips B. Bc-

tween the fianged strips B and the indicatorplate O are ,arranged the lazy-tongs and the marking-farms. These lazy-tongs consist of a series of levers d of equal length, crossed upon themselves and jointed together at the middle point, where they cross, and also at their'outer ends. To each` of these middle joints of the lazy-tongs there is fastened a sliding block e, that travels in the guide formed by the adjacent edges b of the iianged strips B, and to each of these blocks is fastened a marking-arm D. These marking-arms are made of iiat spring-steel, so as to be elastic, and project at theirouter ends beyondthe base-plate A, so as to rest upon the edge of the sheet of paper to be marked. These marking-arms have at their ends thumb-pieces CZ', and beneath these thumbpieces the ends of the marking-arms are bent down and terminate in blades that have toothed edges adapted to puncture the paper and make a Visible mark. On the opposite side of the lazy-tongs there is at each middle joint a guide-block f, that slides in the groove o of the indicatorplate O. Each of these blocks has a pointer or index-hand g, attached to and moving over the graduated scale on the indicatorplate. Each of t-hese pointers corresponds to one of the markingarms.

At the end of the lazy-tongs th ere are a pair of thumb-levers E E, which are jointed to gether after the manner of the arms of apair of pinchers. The short ends of these levers are attached to the outer ends of the first pair of arms of the lazytongs and the long ends of these levers are forced apart bya spring h. The fulcrum of these levers is fixed to the baseplate, and its upper end is screwthreaded and provided outside the indicator-plate with a thumb=nut i, which, when screwed down tight, clamps the levers together and fixes the adjustment of the levers, and consequently the position of the lazyc-tongs and markers.

G is a gagebar fixed to the base-plate and against which one end of the sheetof paperis laid that is to be subdivided. Fis a set-screw at the outer end of the lazy-tongs, by which that end may be tightly clamped to the indicatorhplate and held when the proper adjustment has been attained.

ICO

In making use of my invention the paper or card-board slaid on the table, `with one end against the gage-bar G and the edge of the paper extending along under the row of marking-arms parallel to the base-plate. The thumb-levers E E are now squeezed between the lingers, and by this means (assisted `with the hand on the set-screw at the other end) the lazy-tongs are extended and the markers are distributed along` the sheet of card-board at equal distance from each other until the full length of the sheethas been reached, and then each nlarker-arm is raised with the lin ger and thumb, and,being suddenly released,its elasfor ruling paper to arrange thepens in a series upon lazy-tongs, and Ido not claim A'this construction, broadly.

Having thus described my invention: what I claim as new isl. The measuring and marking device herein described, consisting of a pair of la7lytongs provided with a series oil' spring marking-arms made elastiein their length, and having at their ends downturned and toothed edges adapted to make an impression on the paper by being raised and suddenly released, as described.

2. In a spacing-instrument, the co1nbination, with a frame having guides, of a set of lazy tongs composed of a series of levers crossed and pivoted to each other at their middle points of intersection,and also jointed to gether at their ends, a set of right-angularlyarranged marking-arms having a single connection with. the lazy-tongs and that at the middle points of the levers where they cross, and a set of guide-blocks arranged also at the same points of crossing and moving Vin: lthe gnides,'substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with`the`laZy-tongs, the baseiplate, the marking-arms, and 'indicatorplate C. of the operating-levers E E andthe clamping-nut arranged upon the fulcrum of the levers for li'xing 4their adj ust-ment, substantially as described.

AITIRAM R. '(AUlE.

Witnesses:

G. S. MAXON, J. Il'. WILL. 

